JQJO — Sports news · Page 69

Oklahoma State quarterback Drew Mestemaker earned Associated Press national player of the week honors after leading the Cowboys to a stunning 39-31 victory over No. 6 Oregon. Entering the matchup as 24.5-point underdogs, Oklahoma State snapped a 21-game losing streak against Football Bowl Subdivision opponents. Mestemaker set the tone on the game's opening play with a 75-yard rushing touchdown. The North Texas transfer finished the contest completing 26 of 43 pass attempts for 317 yards and two touchdowns while adding 109 rushing yards and another score on six carries. His performance marked the first time an Oklahoma State quarterback surpassed 300 passing yards and 100 rushing yards in a single game since 2022. Ohio State wide receiver Jeremiah Smith finished as the weekly runner-up after recording 164 receiving yards and a touchdown in a narrow 24-23 loss to Texas, moving him within striking distance of the school's all-time receiving yardage record.

On September 14, 1986, Chicago Bears running back Walter Payton achieved a historic milestone by scoring his one hundredth career rushing touchdown during a game against the Philadelphia Eagles. The milestone occurred on a trademark one-yard rushing dive into the end zone. During the same game, Payton also surpassed fifteen thousand career rushing yards, reinforcing his status as a dominant offensive force in the National Football League. Spending his entire thirteen-year professional career with the Chicago Bears, Payton redefined the running back position through exceptional durability, vision, and work ethic. At the time of his retirement, he held the league all-time career rushing record, later surpassed by Emmitt Smith in 2002. Payton remains widely regarded as one of the greatest football players in sports history, and his enduring legacy is honored annually through the Walter Payton NFL Man of the Year Award recognizing community service and excellence.